Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing of Inconel 718/TiC Metal Matrix Composites: Influence of TiC Content on Processing, Microstructure, Mechanical and Tribological Properties

This paper investigated the influence of titanium carbide (TiC) content on the processing, microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of Inconel 718/TiC composites produced by binder jetting additive manufacturing. It was found that increasing the amount of TiC required an increase of the drying intensity during printing due to a decrease in the thermal conductivity of the powder mixture. The sintering process also depended on the TiC content. The most optimal modes were 1270 °C for 10 h for samples with 0 and 3% TiC and 1280 °C for 5 h for samples with 5 and 10% TiC. The hardness of the materials increased as the proportion of reinforcement increased. The best tensile properties, also at high temperatures, were possessed by samples with 3% TiC, showing high strength and, in addition, satisfactory plasticity. The maximum wear resistance was achieved by the composite material containing 5% TiC.